Conventional vehicle control systems (e.g., steering, brake, accelerator, etc.) typically include an input assembly (e.g., steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, etc.) coupled to one or more actuators by a mechanical linkage (e.g., rods, hydraulic lines, gears, etc.). Control-by-wire systems may be used to replace the mechanical linkages and other components of the conventional control systems. Numerous control-by-wire systems are known in the art. Such systems provide several advantages over the conventional control systems including a reduction of parts and, in many instances, enhanced reliability and performance. As the control-by-wire systems typically lack mechanical linkages, resistance provided to a vehicle driver at the input assembly may also be lacking. Recently, however, numerous strategies have been developed to enhance force feedback of control-by-wire systems thereby providing an authentic controller “feel” to which drivers have become accustomed.
Control-by-wire systems generally operate by receiving driver physical input at the input assembly and producing a corresponding electronic signal proportional to the input. The signal may then be relayed (e.g., via wire, radio-frequency, etc.) to one or more actuators positioned within the vehicle for actuating a given function related to the input. To illustrate, an exemplary steer-by-wire system may include two independent actuators installed adjacent respective front wheels. Each actuator may provide an independent mechanical force to turn its respective front wheel in response to steering wheel movement. The wheels may turn in proportion to the movement of the steering wheel thereby steering the vehicle.
Many conventional control systems allow relatively small positional “adjustments”, such as tilting/telescoping of the steering wheel and pedal adjustments to driver height. However, due to the nature of mechanical linkages, the conventional controls may be fixed at a general location within the vehicle. The often complex mechanical linkages may comprise numerous parts, some rigid in nature, making major positional adjustments of the control systems impractical. For example, steering wheels, brake pedals, and accelerator pedals positioned on a vehicle left side, as is convention in North American markets, may not easily be re-positioned to a vehicle right side, as is convention in some European markets. To overcome this, a given vehicle must include two design and manufacturing strategies if it is to be produced for both markets. This may complicate the overall vehicle design and increase manufacturing overhead and cost.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide re-positionable vehicle control-by-wire assembly, method, and system that overcome the aforementioned and other disadvantages.